Inheriting heart disease

Q:I want to know how much heredity applies to heart problems.....both my parents had heart complications....they both died of heart attacks. Both had different types of complications, though I dont remember it exactly. My father died in 1980....my mother in1986. My father was 70 yrs & my mother was 76 yrs when they died. I am now 62. I am having a few health complications, but not of the heart. I am just worried that even I will end up with the heart attack. Could you please give me some more information on it.

A: “Heredity does play a role in the causation of coronary heart disease. As both your parents had suffered heart attack, it is advisable you have a heart check up every year including Serum Lipids, Blood Sugar, Serum Homocysteine and Blood Pressure.”

Dr B K Goyal is an internationally acclaimed cardiologist and medical educationist of India. He is the Director Interventional Cardiology at Bombay Hospital. He was conferred Padma Shri, the Padma Bhushan and finally the Padma Vibhushan award in 2005. This is a very rare achievement and only 2 people in India have received all 3 Padma Awards till now.

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